Thursday, March 15, 2018
Bruce Reitherman - my 195th pick to be named a Disney Legend
Bruce Reitherman is the son of famous Disney animator Wolfgang Reitherman. As a child, he was the voice actor for two pretty big roles in Walt Disney feature films. He provided the voices of Mowgli in The Jungle Book and Christopher Robin in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. He was also the producer for New True Life Adventures: Alaska: Dances of the Caribou. His brother Robert was Arthur in the Sword in the Stone. He is my 195th pick to be named a Disney Legend.
Ted Crowell - my 194th choice to be named a Disney Legend
Ted Crowell, an engineer who became vice president of facilities
at Walt Disney World during his 34-year career with the company, is my 194th pick to be named a Disney Legend. Crowell started as an engineer at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., in 1958.
When he was asked to design a way to get more people into less space, he came up with the compact "Q" lines that snake visitors into rides and attractions, his son said. Today, Q lines are an industry standard.
He also designed the E-ticket, which was used to admit visitors to the hottest rides during the early years when Disney World visitors used coupon books to access park attractions, his son said.
Hired in California by now-retired Disney executive Dick Nunis, Ted Crowell was a key player in what was called"the Florida Project."
"He was sent to Orlando before the park was built to check road access," his son said. "He sat in his car off I-4 at Lake Buena Vista, counting cars in both directions."
Ted Crowell began moving to Orlando in 1969 to oversee park construction and was named a vice president in the early 1970s. He was in charge of ride engineers and maintenance and janitorial staffs.
When he retired in 1992, he immersed himself in volunteer work, dividing his time among Meals on Wheels, Sand Lake Hospital, Give Kids the World and House of Hope.
Crowell was the only Disney person to hold a board position with the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). He has a window in his honor on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom.
When he was asked to design a way to get more people into less space, he came up with the compact "Q" lines that snake visitors into rides and attractions, his son said. Today, Q lines are an industry standard.
He also designed the E-ticket, which was used to admit visitors to the hottest rides during the early years when Disney World visitors used coupon books to access park attractions, his son said.
Hired in California by now-retired Disney executive Dick Nunis, Ted Crowell was a key player in what was called"the Florida Project."
"He was sent to Orlando before the park was built to check road access," his son said. "He sat in his car off I-4 at Lake Buena Vista, counting cars in both directions."
Ted Crowell began moving to Orlando in 1969 to oversee park construction and was named a vice president in the early 1970s. He was in charge of ride engineers and maintenance and janitorial staffs.
When he retired in 1992, he immersed himself in volunteer work, dividing his time among Meals on Wheels, Sand Lake Hospital, Give Kids the World and House of Hope.
Crowell was the only Disney person to hold a board position with the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). He has a window in his honor on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom.
Ruth Clifford - my 193rd choice to be named a Disney Legend
Ruth Clifford was an American actress of leading roles in silent films, whose career lasted from silent days into the television era. From 1942–1952 she voiced Minnie Mouse and shared the role of Daisy Duck in tandem with Gloria Blondell.She is my 193rd pick to be named a Disney Legend.Hicks Lokey - my 192nd pick to be named a Disney Legend
Hicks Lokey was an animator for several animation studios, including the Walt Disney Studios. He is the 92 person on my list to be named a Disney Legend. The two most famous things Lokey worked on at Disney where the Dance of the Hours segment in Fantasia and the frightening opening of Pink Elephants on Parade in Dumbo.He only worked for the Walt Disney Studios for tow years (1940-41), but it has been said that his animation style had a tremendous effect on other Disney animators. In 1990 Lokey received the Winsor McCay Award for his lifetime of work in the field of animation.
Friday, March 9, 2018
Roland Hill Sr. - my 191st pick to be named a Disney Legend
Roland was a pilot in World War One; crashed his plane, and spent the remainder of the War driving officers around France and doing American Government reparations. While on the road, he sketched many of the castles that he saw, both in France and Germany, including Neuschwanstein Castle, in Bavaria. In October, 1919, he met Walt Disney, also a driver in France, (American Red Cross), showed him the castle drawings, and formed a friendship. Disney particularly liked his drawings of Neuschwanstein, with its columns and turrets. Roland's family descendants still have his original castle drawing book from France. Roland stayed in France until 1924, and graduated from the Beaux Arts School. He collected art and paintings from several prominent artists in the Paris area in the early 1920s. In about 1925, Roland joined Walt Disney in the Los Angeles area to advise on castle design and medieval architecture, including stone masonry design and interior castle details. He contributed his castle knowledge to Disney's animation department for the original full length feature film Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937. Roland stayed close to Walt Disney for many years, traveling with him on several occasions as part of a group. He became known as the premier castle expert in Hollywood, continuing to provide castle information to Walt Disney on Fantasia and Sleeping Beauty, in the 1940s and 1950s. Ultimately, Walt invited Roland to design the Disneyland Castle at Disneyland, in Anaheim, California, in 1953, and the park opened in 1955. The Disneyland Castle is probably the most photographed building in the world, and has been used a a basis of castle design for countless projects through the decades.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Steven Edward Hill, grandson of Roland Hill
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Steven Edward Hill, grandson of Roland Hill
Mique Nelson - my 190th pick to be named a Disney Legend
Below is is a partial list of Disney projects he worked on:
| 1931 | |
 | Egyptian Melodies (Disney - Silly Symphony - Backgrounds ) |
 | The Clock Store (Disney - Silly Symphony - Backgrounds ) |
 | The Fox Hunt (Disney - Silly Symphony - Backgrounds ) |
 | The Spider and the Fly (Disney - Silly Symphony - Backgrounds ) |
 | The Ugly Duckling (Disney - Silly Symphony - Backgrounds ) |
| 1932 | |
 | The Bird Store (Disney - Silly Symphony - Backgrounds ) |
| 1935 | |
 | Cock o' the Walk (Disney - Silly Symphony - Backgrounds ) |
| 1936 | |
 | Three Little Wolves (Disney - Silly Symphony - Backgrounds ) |
| 1937 | |
 | Don Donald (Disney - Donald Duck Cartoon - Backgrounds ) |
 | The Old Mill (Disney - Silly Symphony - Backgrounds ) |
| 1938 | |
 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Backgrounds ) |
 | Wynken, Blynken and Nod (Disney - Silly Symphony - Backgrounds ) |
| 1940 | |
 | Pinocchio (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Backgrounds ) |
Dick Van Patten - my 189th pick to be named a Disney Legend
Richard Vincent "Dick" Van Patten was an American actor, businessman, and animal welfare advocate. He appeared in many Disney films: Snowball Express, Superdad, The Strongest Man in the World, Gus, The Treasure of Matecumbe, Freaky Friday, and The Shaggy D.A.
Jeremy Irons - my 188th pick to be named a Disney Legend
Actor Jeremy Irons is my 188th pick to be named a Disney Legend.
He is most famous with Disney as the voice of Scar in The Lion King. Unlike many Disney movies, where a singer steps in to replace the voice actor or actress during a song, Irons sang the lines as Scar for "Be Prepared."
Actually, Irons sang most of his lines for "Be Prepared," but his vocal cords strained when he did the line: "You won't get a sniff without me!," causing Jim Cummings (who also did Ed's vocal effects in the same film) to fill in as the rest of Scar's singing voice.
Starting back in 1992, Irons had a supporting role in the Magic Kingdom attraction “The Timekeeper” as H.G. Wells and appeared when the Timekeeper (voiced by Robin Williams), sent his assistant Nine-Eye back in time and eventually ends up in the year 1900 in Paris, France for the Exposition Universelle (a world’s fair). Nine-Eye observes a conversation between H.G. Wells and Jules Verne concerning the future and what it would be like, and we don’t see Irons’ character again until a later scene that takes place in 2189, and appears along side Verne in a 1900’s looking time machine. While not a major role, it was a role that did establish him with Disney, and in a beloved classic attraction that lasted until 2006!
Irons also provided the narration for the third incarnation of Spaceship Earth at Epcot. He also provided narration for Disc 2 of The Lion King Platinum Edition. He also played Pucci in the 2005 Touchstone Pictures film Casanova.
He is most famous with Disney as the voice of Scar in The Lion King. Unlike many Disney movies, where a singer steps in to replace the voice actor or actress during a song, Irons sang the lines as Scar for "Be Prepared."
Actually, Irons sang most of his lines for "Be Prepared," but his vocal cords strained when he did the line: "You won't get a sniff without me!," causing Jim Cummings (who also did Ed's vocal effects in the same film) to fill in as the rest of Scar's singing voice.
Starting back in 1992, Irons had a supporting role in the Magic Kingdom attraction “The Timekeeper” as H.G. Wells and appeared when the Timekeeper (voiced by Robin Williams), sent his assistant Nine-Eye back in time and eventually ends up in the year 1900 in Paris, France for the Exposition Universelle (a world’s fair). Nine-Eye observes a conversation between H.G. Wells and Jules Verne concerning the future and what it would be like, and we don’t see Irons’ character again until a later scene that takes place in 2189, and appears along side Verne in a 1900’s looking time machine. While not a major role, it was a role that did establish him with Disney, and in a beloved classic attraction that lasted until 2006!
Irons also provided the narration for the third incarnation of Spaceship Earth at Epcot. He also provided narration for Disc 2 of The Lion King Platinum Edition. He also played Pucci in the 2005 Touchstone Pictures film Casanova.
Charles Corson - my 187th pick to be named a Disney Legend
Charles Corson worked in the Casting Department for Walt Disney Studios and became Director of Entertainment for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
He helped cast for such acts as the Dapper Dans, the live Mermaids, the high-wire Tinker Bells, and other Disneyland atmosphere entertainment and Meet Me at Disneyland TV show. He was responsible for bringing the Osmonds to Disneyland for one of their first public performances. He helped cast the Mickey Mouse Club show and helped with the first firework shows at Disneyland. His background in production and first love of live entertainment led
him to Disneyland where he served the creative genius of his mentor,
Walt Disney, and rose to become Director of Entertainment for the
world's two largest theme parks, Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Instrumental in the opening of Walt Disney World, many of his creative
contributions are still in place today and he is honored with a window
bearing his name on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. Clair Weeks - my 186th choice to be named a Disney Legend.
Animator Clair Weeks is my 186th pick to be honored as a Disney Legend.
Brought up in India as the son of a missionary, Weeks joined Disney in 1936 and contributed to such classics as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Bambi," "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty." After time out to serve in the military during World War II, Weeks went on to work on most of the major animated films the studio made in the late 1940s and early '50s. In 1956, he went to Bombay as a U.S. representative helping India establish an animation studio. In India, Weeks worked primarily on animated segments of documentaries used to educate and instruct the public. He continued as an ambassador of animation and for 16 years traveled throughout Asia, helping several countries develop animation industries.
Brought up in India as the son of a missionary, Weeks joined Disney in 1936 and contributed to such classics as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Bambi," "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty." After time out to serve in the military during World War II, Weeks went on to work on most of the major animated films the studio made in the late 1940s and early '50s. In 1956, he went to Bombay as a U.S. representative helping India establish an animation studio. In India, Weeks worked primarily on animated segments of documentaries used to educate and instruct the public. He continued as an ambassador of animation and for 16 years traveled throughout Asia, helping several countries develop animation industries.
Friday, March 2, 2018
Ben Wright - my 185th choice to be named a Disney Legend
Voice actor Ben Wright is my 185th pick to be chosen as a Disney Legend.
He voiced Roger Radcliffe in One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Rama in The Jungle Book, and Grimsby in The Little Mermaid.
During the production of The Little Mermaid, nobody knew that Ben had provided the voice of Roger in One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and he had to tell them that he played the character. The role of Grimsby was the last role that he ever played before his death on July 2, 1989 from heart failure after having heart surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, California at the age of 74.
He voiced Roger Radcliffe in One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Rama in The Jungle Book, and Grimsby in The Little Mermaid.
During the production of The Little Mermaid, nobody knew that Ben had provided the voice of Roger in One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and he had to tell them that he played the character. The role of Grimsby was the last role that he ever played before his death on July 2, 1989 from heart failure after having heart surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, California at the age of 74.
Iwao Takamoto - my 184th pick to be named a Disney Legend
Iwao Takamoto was a Japanese-American animator, television producer, and film director who did work for both Disney and Hanna-Barbera along with Charles A. Nichols. He is my my 184th choice to be named a Disney Legend.Takamoto first entered the cartoon world after the end of the war. He was hired as an assistant animator by Walt Disney Studios in 1945. Takamoto eventually became an assistant for the legendary Milt Kahl. He worked as an animator on such titles as Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, and 101 Dalmatians. He was put in charge of the design of the pedigreed Lady in "Lady and the Tramp" (1955), according to Barker Animation Art Gallery, a Connecticut firm that represents his work.
Iwao Takamoto was one of the most talented animators ever to pass through the Disney Studio in the 1940’s and 50’s. But he remains a more unsung hero, who never received the full opportunity to show what he could do on a Disney feature. As Takamoto himself would recall:
A new feature film would start to ramp up and it would look like I would get an opportunity to animate, and suddenly I would be approached by a small committee usually consisting of Milt Kahl, Marc Davis, and Frank Thomas, who would say something like, “For the good of the picture, would you take on the responsibility of quality control in the lead characters?” That would be the end of my animation chance.Such was the case on Sleeping Beauty (1959), where Takamoto would serve as quality control supervisor on the title character.
He left Disney in 1961 for Hanna-Barbera along with Charles A. Nichols. He later returned for one time to help animate The Fox and the Hound with Joseph Barbera.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Joseph Dubin - My 183rd pick to be named a Disney Legend
Other soundtracks he helped compose for were: Lambert the Sheepish Lion, Pluto's Christmas Tree, Out on a Limb, Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom, The African Lion and the Swamp Fox.
He is my 183rd pick to be named a Disney Legend.
Friday, February 9, 2018
Anthony DeRosa - my 182nd pick to be named a Disney Legend
Anthony DeRosa is a Disney animator who has worked at the studio since 1985. He is my 182nd pick to be named a Disney Legend
He is described in the blog - 50 Most Influential Disney Animators - "Anthony “Tony” de Rosa has been for two decades one of Disney’s best kept and most valuable secrets. He has a higher level of versatility and draftsmanship than almost anyone working at Disney today. De Rosa can easily be described as a modern day John Lounsbery: he shares the master’s range (can go from personality animation to comic animation in a heartbeat) and his solid draftsmanship. His unselfishness and sincerity is equally inspirational."
He is described in the blog - 50 Most Influential Disney Animators - "Anthony “Tony” de Rosa has been for two decades one of Disney’s best kept and most valuable secrets. He has a higher level of versatility and draftsmanship than almost anyone working at Disney today. De Rosa can easily be described as a modern day John Lounsbery: he shares the master’s range (can go from personality animation to comic animation in a heartbeat) and his solid draftsmanship. His unselfishness and sincerity is equally inspirational."
Disney Filmography
Year Film Position
1985 The Black Cauldron Breakdown Artist: Gurgi
1986 The Great Mouse Detective Key Assistant Animator
1988 Oliver and Company Character Animator
1989 The Little Mermaid Character Animator: Carlotta
1990 The Rescuers Down Under Character Animator: Bernard
1991 Beauty and the Beast Animator: Beast
1992 Aladdin Animator: Aladdin
1994 The Lion King Supervising Animator: Adult Nala
1995 Pocahontas Supervising Animator: Nakoma
1997 Hercules Supervising Animator: Zeus and Hera
2000 Fantasia 2000 Lead Character Animator: Spring Sprite
2001 Atlantis: The Lost Empire Supervising Animator: Mole
2002 Treasure Planet Animator: John Silver
2004 Home on the Range Animator: Maggie
2009 The Princess and the Frog Supervising Animator: Lawrence
2011 Winnie the Pooh Animator: Kanga, Roo, and Piglet
2012 Paperman Final Line Animator
2013 Get a Horse! Animator
2016 Zootopia Animator: Bonnie and Stu Hopps
Joe Flynn - My 181st pick to be named a Disney Legend
Joe Flynn is my 181st pick to be named a Disney Legend.
He was best known for his role in the 1960s ABC sitcom McHale's Navy and appeared in several Walt Disney film comedies. Later in his career, Flynn worked as a voice actor for Disney animated features.
His Disney roles include Mr. Snoops in The Rescuers; Dean Higgins in The Strongest Man in the World, Now You See Him, Now You Don't and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes; Cyrus Hershberger in Superdad; Finley Hooper in The Million Dollar Duck; Francis X. Wilbanks in The Barefoot Executive; P.J. Applegate and Major Philbrick in the Wonderful World of Disney episodes "My Dog, The Thief" and "The Wacky Zoo of Morgan City"; Havershaw in The Love Bug; Rex Williams and TV Commercial Announcer in Son of Flubber, and the host of the Mouse Factory episode "Water Sports".
Writing about his role of Dean Higgins in three Disney films, from the blog Disney Top Ten Lists - "Medfield was Disney's stock college (campus scenes were actually filmed on Disney's studio campus) and had been featured long before Flynn took over. He came to define the face of the college in all three Dexter Riley films. Flynn was a perfect foil for star Kurt Russell, always threatening him with expulsion, yet secretly proud of his schemes. Flynn could do a take of goofy exasperation better than almost anyone."
Sadly, he accidentally drowned in his swimming pool shortly after completing his work on The Rescuers.
His Disney roles include Mr. Snoops in The Rescuers; Dean Higgins in The Strongest Man in the World, Now You See Him, Now You Don't and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes; Cyrus Hershberger in Superdad; Finley Hooper in The Million Dollar Duck; Francis X. Wilbanks in The Barefoot Executive; P.J. Applegate and Major Philbrick in the Wonderful World of Disney episodes "My Dog, The Thief" and "The Wacky Zoo of Morgan City"; Havershaw in The Love Bug; Rex Williams and TV Commercial Announcer in Son of Flubber, and the host of the Mouse Factory episode "Water Sports".
Writing about his role of Dean Higgins in three Disney films, from the blog Disney Top Ten Lists - "Medfield was Disney's stock college (campus scenes were actually filmed on Disney's studio campus) and had been featured long before Flynn took over. He came to define the face of the college in all three Dexter Riley films. Flynn was a perfect foil for star Kurt Russell, always threatening him with expulsion, yet secretly proud of his schemes. Flynn could do a take of goofy exasperation better than almost anyone."
Sadly, he accidentally drowned in his swimming pool shortly after completing his work on The Rescuers.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Don Bluth - my 180th pick to be named a Disney Legend
Don Bluth is an American animator, film director, producer, writer, production designer, video game designer, and animation instructor who started his career at Disney in 1955, only to leave the company in 1979 and start his own animation studio, Don Bluth Entertainment (formerly Sullivan Bluth Studios) after believing the company had lost its charm when they turned down his pitch for an animated feature-length adaptation of Robert C. O'Brien's novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, which he decided to create by himself and a few of his friends at the studio. He is my 180th pick to be named a Disney Legend.
Disney Filmography
Year Film Position
1959 Sleeping Beauty In-between Artist (Uncredited)
1961 101 Dalmatians Assistant Animator (Uncredited)
1963 The Sword in the Stone Assistant Animator (Uncredited)
1973 Robin Hood Character Animator: Robin Hood/Skippy/Sis/Tagalong
1974 Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too! Character Animator: Rabbit
1977 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Character Animator
1977 The Rescuers Directing Animator
1977 Pete's Dragon Animation Director
1978 The Small One Director/Animator (Uncredited): Auction scene
1981 The Fox and the Hound Supervising Animator: Widow Tweed (Uncredited)
Disney Filmography
Year Film Position
1959 Sleeping Beauty In-between Artist (Uncredited)
1961 101 Dalmatians Assistant Animator (Uncredited)
1963 The Sword in the Stone Assistant Animator (Uncredited)
1973 Robin Hood Character Animator: Robin Hood/Skippy/Sis/Tagalong
1974 Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too! Character Animator: Rabbit
1977 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Character Animator
1977 The Rescuers Directing Animator
1977 Pete's Dragon Animation Director
1978 The Small One Director/Animator (Uncredited): Auction scene
1981 The Fox and the Hound Supervising Animator: Widow Tweed (Uncredited)
Royal Clark my 179th pick to be named a Disney Legend
Clark was also involved as the Treasurer and and later, Vice President for Walt Disney's privately owned company, Retlaw Enterprises. Mr. Clark would often be the person who had to help Walt find the seed money needed for whatever project he was planning. Of course, Roy Disney would often cave in and Royal would find himself transferring whatever project and funding over to Disney Productions.
Royal Clark's early work on Disneyland was so important that he was given a window on Main Street by Walt Disney personally. In fact, his window was there from opening day in 1955. Mr. Clark has passed away last week at the age of 96. His window survives above the Carnation Cafe.
Émile Genest - my 178th pick to be named a Disney Legend
Canadian actor Émile Genest is my 178th pick to be named a Disney Legend. His biggest Disney role was portraying the villain Jacques Lebeau in Nikki, Wild Dog of the North. He also played Emile Fornet in Big Red. He was John Longridge in the Incredible Journey.
Friday, January 19, 2018
Walt Stanchfield - my 177th pick to be named a Disney Legend
Walt Stanchfield was an animator, writer, and
teacher. Stanchfield is known for work on a series of classic animated feature
films at Walt Disney Studios and his mentoring of Disney animators. He is my 177th pick to be named a Disney Legend.
Walter Stanchfield was born in 1919 in Los
Angeles, California. After graduating from high school in 1937, Stanchfield
worked as an animator at the Charles Mintz Studio. During World War II, he
served in the U.S. Navy. Returning to California, he briefly worked at the
Walter Lantz Studio before joining Walt Disney Studios to work on the 1949
full-length animated feature The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad in 1947.
His career included work on every subsequent Disney animated feature including
his work as a character animator on The Jungle Book and The AristoCats. His
final film for Disney was Oliver and Company in 1988. In 1987, Stanchfield
served as the animation consultant on Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
In the 1970s, Stanchfield and Eric Larson
created a training program for new animators at Disney studios. The program
included weekly drawing classes and lectures. Stanchfied's students included
numerous prominent animators, such as Brad Bird, John Lasseter, Don Bluth, Joe
Ranft, John Musker, Ron Clements, Glen Keane, Andreas Deja, and Mark Henn.
In 2009, Stanchfield's lecture notes were
compiled into the two-volume set Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney
Master Classes
Partial Disney Filmography
Year Film Position
1966 Winnie
the Pooh and the Honey Tree Animator
1967 The
Jungle Book Character Animator
1968 Winnie
the Pooh and the Blustery Day Animator
1970 The
Aristocats Character Animator
1977 The
Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Animator
1977 The
Rescuers Key Assistant Animator
1978 The
Small One Assistant Animation
Supervisor
1981 The
Fox and the Hound Coordinating
Animator
1983 Mickey's
Christmas Carol The Creative Talent
Of
1985 The
Black Cauldron Coordinating Animator
1986 The
Great Mouse Detective Coordinating
Animator
1988 Who
Framed Roger Rabbit Animation
Consultant
1988 Oliver and Company Production Consultant
2001 Atlantis:
The Lost Empire Special Thanks
Joseph L. Lee - My 176th pick to be named a Disney Legend
In 1971, both the Magnolia and Palm golf courses at Walt Disney World, designed by Joseph L. Lee, opened. In 1993, Lee renovated the Magnolia. A June 1971 edition of the New York Times pictured Lee looking over the blueprints for the courses with Mickey Mouse. He is my 176th choice to be named a Disney Legend.
Friday, December 8, 2017
Walter Sheets - my 175th pick to be named a Disney Legend
After an independent career, he joined Disney Studios in the late 1950s and worked until 1980. He wrote music for other Disney films such as No Deposit, No Return, Napoleon and Samantha, Prince Donegal, Gus, The Aristocats, Robin Hood, The Strongest Man in the World, Summer Magic, The Fox and the Hound, The North Avenue Irregulars, Hot Lead, Cold Feet, The Tale of Two Critters, The Shaggy DA, The Apple Dumpling Gang, The Love Bug, The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit, Treasure of Matecumbre, The Bears and I, Herbie Rides Again, Charley and the Angel, Run, Cougar, Run, The Biscuit Eater, The Million Dollar Duck, Rascal, Smith!, The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, The Legend of the Boy Eagle, Follow Me Boys!, The Monkey's Uncle, The Three Lives of Thomasina, Savage Sam, The Incredible Journey and the Computer Who Wore Tennis Shoes, among others.
He also orchestrated some of the music played at the theme parks including Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and music heard at Liberty Square in Walt Disney World.
Friday, December 1, 2017
Rob Minkoff - my 174th pick to be named a Disney Legend
He has been associated with some of the greatest Disney Renaissance classics,
Examples of his work include Oliver and Company (writer), The Black Cauldron (animator), The Great Mouse Detective (animator), Sport Goofy in Soccermania (animator), The Brave Little Toaster (character designer), Little Mermaid (animator), Beauty and the Beast (writer) The Lion King (director) and the Haunted Mansion (director and executive producer). He was also the director of two Roger Rabbit shorts - Tummy Trouble (1989) and Roller Coaster Rabbit and a Mickey Mouse short called Mickey's Audition, which was shown at MGM studios.
While working at Disney he wrote the song "Good Company" for Oliver and Company.
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Ray Huffine - my 173rd pick to be named a Disney Legend
Animator and artist Ray Huffine is my 173rd pick to be named a Disney Legend. He worked on some of the greatest Disney Classic of the Golden Age of Disney.
His work with Disney includes the following films and shorts:
His work with Disney includes the following films and shorts:
1960 Fowled Up Falcon (Short) (background
artist)
1960
Southern Fried Hospitality (Short) (background artist)
1960
Fish Hooked (Short) (background artist)
1960
Hunger Strife (Short) (background artist)
1956
In the Bag (Short) (background artist)
1955
Bearly Asleep (Short) (background artist)
1955
Lady and the Tramp (backgrounds)
1955
No Hunting (Short) (background artist)
1954
The Flying Squirrel (Short) (background artist)
1954
Grin and Bear It (Short) (background artist)
1954
Dragon Around (Short) (background artist)
1954
Spare the Rod (Short) (background artist)
1953
Canvas Back Duck (Short) (background artist)
1953
Rugged Bear (Short) (background artist)
1953
Peter Pan (background artist)
1952
The Little House (Short) (background artist)
1952
Two Chips and a Miss (Short) (background artist)
1952
Lambert the Sheepish Lion (Short) (background artist)
1951
Fathers Are People (Short) (background artist)
1951
Get Rich Quick (Short) (background artist)
1951
Alice in Wonderland (backgrounds)
1951
Plutopia (Short) (background artist)
1951
Chicken in the Rough (Short) (background artist)
1950
Morris the Midget Moose (Short) (background artist)
1950
The Brave Engineer (Short) (background artist)
1950
Cinderella (backgrounds)
1949
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (backgrounds)
1949
The Wind in the Willows (Short) (background artist)
1948
So Dear to My Heart (background artist)
1948
Melody Time (background artist)
1947
Bongo (short) (background)
1947
Mail Dog (Short) (background artist)
1947
Fun and Fancy Free (background artist)
1947
Crazy with the Heat (Short) (background artist)
1946
Song of the South (background artist)
1946
The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met (Short) (background artist)
1946
In Dutch (Short) (background artist)
1946
Make Mine Music (backgrounds)
1945
The Legend of Coyote Rock (Short) (background artist)
1945
African Diary (Short) (background artist)
1944
The Three Caballeros (background artist)
1943
Victory Through Air Power (Documentary) (background artist)
1942
Bambi (backgrounds)
1941 The Reluctant Dragon (background
artist)
1940
Fantasia (background artist - segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
1940
Pinocchio (backgrounds)
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Bob Mattey - my 172nd pick to be named a Disney Legend
Bob Mattey is my 172nd choice to be named a Disney Legend. Below is an article for the D23 website which details his fantastic career with Disney.
By Becky Cline
Legendary mechanical effects man Robert A. Mattey Jr. began his Hollywood career in the late 1920s, while visiting his father, a costume jeweler who created the faux coins used in the 1927 epic film The King of Kings. The 16-year-old Bob was fascinated by the production process, and was hooked for life.
Shortly after, Bob began working in motion pictures himself, most notably for RKO and Universal Studios in films such as King Kong (1933) and Tarzan and His Mate (1934). Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Bob did uncredited work for some of the best special effects supervisors in the industry, building werewolves, carnivorous plants, and much more.
In the early 1950s, Disney art director Harper Goff saw the giant mechanized octopus that Bob had created for the John Wayne film Wake of the Red Witch (1948) and knew that he had found just the man to help him through production troubles in Disney’s new epic adventure 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Harper was having a difficult time with the film’s giant “puppet” squid, which had been fabricated but was not working properly, so he hired Bob to mechanize a new more robust squid, sculpted by Disney artist Chris Mueller.
The film and its monster squid was such a hit that Walt Disney quickly offered Bob a permanent position at the studio as head of the Mechanical Effects Department, and Bob was soon hard at work building a host of mechanical figures for the soon-to-open Disneyland. Bob animated hippos, elephants, and other exotic animals for Jungle Cruise; populated the Rivers of America with lifelike deer, elk, and bears; balanced rocks and made mud baths bubble for the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland; and even worked mechanized magic in Fantasyland where he animated the charming figure of Timothy Mouse high atop the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction and gave guests severe sensory overload in the finale of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Bob continued to work his magic on attractions at Disneyland, including the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea walk-through attraction, the earliest mock-ups of Haunted Mansion, and he provided special mechanical effects for multiple Disney feature films including The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), Mary Poppins (1964), The Happiest Millionaire (1967), Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968), and The Love Bug (1969). But it was in a non-Disney film of the 1970s that Bob’s greatest mechanical “monsterpiece” appeared to terrify audiences around the world—Bruce the Shark in Steven Spielberg’s megahit Jaws (1975).
When Disneyland opened in 1955, Bob was one of the pioneering artists who was given “screen credit” by Walt on the windows of Main Street, U.S.A. The firmly tongue-in-cheek tribute credited him with the title “Taxidermist,” a nod to his ability to create such lifelike dimensional creatures. In the 1970s, the window was moved and altered, but today it has been returned to its original state, to pay homage to Walt’s wonderful wizard of mechanical effects, Bob Mattey.
By Becky Cline
Legendary mechanical effects man Robert A. Mattey Jr. began his Hollywood career in the late 1920s, while visiting his father, a costume jeweler who created the faux coins used in the 1927 epic film The King of Kings. The 16-year-old Bob was fascinated by the production process, and was hooked for life.
Shortly after, Bob began working in motion pictures himself, most notably for RKO and Universal Studios in films such as King Kong (1933) and Tarzan and His Mate (1934). Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Bob did uncredited work for some of the best special effects supervisors in the industry, building werewolves, carnivorous plants, and much more.
In the early 1950s, Disney art director Harper Goff saw the giant mechanized octopus that Bob had created for the John Wayne film Wake of the Red Witch (1948) and knew that he had found just the man to help him through production troubles in Disney’s new epic adventure 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Harper was having a difficult time with the film’s giant “puppet” squid, which had been fabricated but was not working properly, so he hired Bob to mechanize a new more robust squid, sculpted by Disney artist Chris Mueller.
The film and its monster squid was such a hit that Walt Disney quickly offered Bob a permanent position at the studio as head of the Mechanical Effects Department, and Bob was soon hard at work building a host of mechanical figures for the soon-to-open Disneyland. Bob animated hippos, elephants, and other exotic animals for Jungle Cruise; populated the Rivers of America with lifelike deer, elk, and bears; balanced rocks and made mud baths bubble for the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland; and even worked mechanized magic in Fantasyland where he animated the charming figure of Timothy Mouse high atop the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction and gave guests severe sensory overload in the finale of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Bob continued to work his magic on attractions at Disneyland, including the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea walk-through attraction, the earliest mock-ups of Haunted Mansion, and he provided special mechanical effects for multiple Disney feature films including The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), Mary Poppins (1964), The Happiest Millionaire (1967), Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968), and The Love Bug (1969). But it was in a non-Disney film of the 1970s that Bob’s greatest mechanical “monsterpiece” appeared to terrify audiences around the world—Bruce the Shark in Steven Spielberg’s megahit Jaws (1975).
When Disneyland opened in 1955, Bob was one of the pioneering artists who was given “screen credit” by Walt on the windows of Main Street, U.S.A. The firmly tongue-in-cheek tribute credited him with the title “Taxidermist,” a nod to his ability to create such lifelike dimensional creatures. In the 1970s, the window was moved and altered, but today it has been returned to its original state, to pay homage to Walt’s wonderful wizard of mechanical effects, Bob Mattey.
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